Study on the relationship between sclerosis rim and bone morphogenetic proteins of osteonecrosis of the femoral head / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To analyze retrospectively the formation and histological changes of sclerosis rim in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), and to study the relationship between bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP4) and sclerosis rim, so as to acquire experimental and theoretical basis on individualized treatment for ONFH patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From November 2005 to November 2007, 184 hips of steroid-induced ONFH inpatients were collected. The mean age was (47 ± 7) years, the patients were divided into high (more than 54 years old), middle (40 - 54 years old) and low (less than 40 years old) age groups. Their clinical data were analyzed retrospectively according to gender and age. Parts of the femoral heads were selected for the study, including 18 hips in high age group, 11 hips in low age group and 20 hips in middle age group. Each 10 hips were selected with or without sclerosis rim. The femoral heads were cut along middle coronal plane, their weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing areas were used for the study. The specimens were processed by routine HE staining and picric acid-Sirius red staining and electron microscopy preparation and immunohistochemistry stain. The average optical density of BMP4 protein was calculated by image analysis software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The trabecular of sclerosis rim was thickening and disorder. But its osteocytes were normal and with high secretion. The ratio of sclerosis rim was 71.4% (105/147) in middle age ONFH patients, which was significantly higher than the low age group patients (45.5%, 5/11) and high age group patients (38.5%, 10/26) (P < 0.01). The optical density of BMP4 in middle age ONFH patients was 0.32 ± 0.14, which was significantly higher than the low age group 0.20 ± 0.17 and high age patients 0.19 ± 0.27 (P < 0.05). The optical density was 0.16 ± 0.11 in ONFH patients without sclerosis rim, which was significantly lower than with sclerosis rim (0.28 ± 0.13) (P < 0.01). The time from hip pain to joint replacement in patients with sclerosis rim was (49 ± 11) months, and (15 ± 2) months without sclerosis rim. There was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The formation of sclerosis rim is positively related to the expression of BMP4, and high expression of BMP maybe promote the formation of sclerosis rim.</p>

Morphologic observation and pathogenesis investigation of regenerated sinusoidal endothelial cells in remodelling rat hepatic necrotic tissue / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the morphological changes and regeneration mechanism of sinusoidal endothelial cell.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty male Wistar rats (bought from SLC company limited of Japan) were divided into three groups. Fifty of them belonged to experiment group, five rats belonged to untreated group, and the rest five ones belonged to normal saline treated group. The experiment group was then divided into ten subgroups. All the rats of the experiment group were killed under anaesthesia using aether at 12, 24, 36 hrs, and 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 14 days subsequently after an one-off injection of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) (50 mg/kg). The liver tissues, bone marrows and peripheral blood of the rats were taken out rapidly. All the tissues received with HE staining, immunohistochemistry staining and double immunofluorescence labelings, and they were observed under a light microscope and electron microscope. The livers, bone marrows and peripheral blood from the rats at 24 hrs to 14 days after an injection of DMN were examined by light microscopic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Small focal necrosis of the liver tissues was found at 12 hrs after the DMN injection, and gradually becomes more obvious from the 24 hrs. The most obvious necrosis, with lots of ED-1 (monocyte/phagocyte marker of rats) positive cells infiltration, was observed at 36 hrs. On the 2nd day and 3rd day after injection, the necrotic fragments and red cells were phagocyted by ED-1 positive macrophages. On the 5th day, some of the ED-1-positive cells were transformed from round to spindle in shape. On the 7th day, these cells contacted with residual reticulin fibers and became positive for SE-1, a marker of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells and Tie-1, an endothelial cell-specific surface receptor, associated with frequent occurrence of ED-1/SE-1 and ED-1/Tie-1 double positive spindle cells. On the 8th day, the histomorphology of liver tissue was similar with that on day 7, except that the range of the lesions had become smaller. On the 10th day, the regeneration of liver tissue increased, filling in the necrosis. On the 14th day, the necrotic tissues were almost replaced by regenerated liver tissues and thin bundles of central-to-central bridging fibrosis. 12 hrs after the DMN injection, bone marrow studies showed an increase in the number of ED-1 positive mononuclear cells, some of which were both BrdU/ED-1 positive. The number of ED-1 positive mononuclear cells reach their highest level at 36 hrs. These cells are morphologically similar to round mononuclear cells in bone marrows and could be found in the peripheral blood from 24 hrs to the 10 days. They reached their highest level in peripheral blood at the same time as in the bone marrow. These cells morphologically resembled ED-1 positive cells in necrotic tissues of the liver.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These findings suggest that round mononuclear ED-1-positive cells proliferate first in the bone marrow after DMN treatment, reach necrotic areas of livers through circulation, and differentiate to sinusoidal endothelial cells. Namely, hepatic sinusoids in DMN-induced necrotic areas may partly be reorganized possibly by vasculogenesis.</p>

Pathologic diagnosis of early syphilis in nasal cavity and oropharynx / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the pathologic changes in nasal and oropharyngeal mucosa caused by treponema pallidum (TP) infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-five cases of nasal and oropharyngeal syphilis were retrieved from the archival files of Department of Pathology of Beijing Tong Ren Hospital collected during the period from June 1996 to September 2005. The hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides were reviewed. Histochemical study using modified Warthin-Starry stain and immunohistochemical study using polyclonal antibody for TP were carried out. The diagnosis of early syphilis was confirmed by rapid plasma regain (RPR) and TP hemagglutination (TPHA) tests.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 25 cases studied, 20 showed neutrophil infiltration, microabscess formation and plasma cell infiltration in the lamina propria. Endothelial swelling of small blood vessels and syphilitic vasculitis was also seen. Tonsillar ulcers associated with abundant plasma cells, lymphocytes and histiocytes were noted in 14 cases. One of which demonstrated florid reactive lymphoid proliferation, with transforming lymphoid cells of various stages identified. Pseudoneoplastic squamous cell proliferation was seen in one case. Spirochetes were detected by modified Warthin-Starry stain in mucosal microabscesses and squamous epithelium in 20 cases, around small blood vessels in 5 cases, and on the surface of tonsillar ulcers in 14 cases. Abundant TP were also found in smears of exudates in 6 cases. TP antigen was detected in 4 cases by immunohistochemical staining. All the 25 cases studied were RPR (1:8 to 128) and TPHA-positive.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Early syphilis involving nasal cavity and oropharynx has distinctive pathologic features. Detailed histologic examination, together with modified Warthin-Starry stain for demonstration of spirochetes, is important to obtain a correct diagnosis.</p>